Saturday, November 25, 2006

Blog Logs - DXpedition


Sugar Hill mini-DXpedition: Scott R. Barbour Jr.

The RF noise that I have been dealing with for the past 6 weeks prompted me to purchase a Radio Shack 12 VDC so I could take my Icom R75 on it's first mini-Dxpedition, with the intention of logging some interference-free DX.

I left the house Thanksgiving morning at 0900 (4 AM-EST), armed with both DX and cold weather supplies. I arrived at my destination, Sugar Hill Overlook, on the scenic Kancamagus Highway in the heart of the White Mountain National Forest. After getting the antenna and receiver situated I was ready for DX, just shy of 1000 UTC.

I didn't hear anything more or less than what I normally would DXing from home., but what I did hear appeared to be "cleaner". A few Peruvians were booming in early and Suriname was putting out the best signal I have ever logged from them. Indonesia and SE Asia were sub-par at best during local sunrise. Perhaps with a longer antenna (I used a 150' long wire on this
occasion) coupled with either an attenuator or impedance matcher, would produce better results. The real hi-lite of the session was the moose that appeared shortly after sunrise, 25 feet to my left, and hung around the overlook for a half-hour!

2325 AUSTRALIA, VL8T, 1049+, Nov 23, English. Pop msic and banter b/w two OM. Good mx audio but banter barely discernible. Poor. // 2310-VL8A. (Barbour-SHDX/NH)

3976, INDONESIA-KALIMANTAN, RRI Pontianak, 1118-1124, Nov 23, Indo. OM w/ talk, hampered by amateur slop at 1123. Weak/poor. Audio from presumed 4605-RRI Serui barely poking through noise floor also noted around this time. (Barbour-SHDX/NH)

4835, PERU, R.Maranon, 1026-1042, Nov 23, Spanish. Crowing rooster over music at t/in. OM taking listener phone call followed by music and promos. Fair. (Barbour-SHDX/NH)

4920, TIBET, Xizang PBS-Lhasa, 1057-1105, Nov 23, Tibetan(listed),.Ballads at t/in, talk by YL thru ToH then joined by OM b/w musical bits. Fair. // 4905-Fair, //7385-Poor. (Barbour-SHDX/NH)

4928.6v, presumed PERU, R.San Miguel-Cusco, 1005-1012 Nov 23, Spanish. Various music bits w/ OM and crowing rooster effects. Brief ballad and more OM thru t/out. Weak/rough copy. (Barbour-SHDX/NH)

4990, SURIMANE, R.Apintie, 0948-1003, Nov 23, Vernacular. Various ads/promos at t/in; each starting with a "tone". OM re Aruba at 0955 followed by nice "Radio Apintie-Paramaribo." ID and canned announcement. Back to OM at 1003 re Cuba and JamaicaFair w/ mild "sweeper" QRM. (Barbour-SHDX/NH)

5015, INDIA, AIR Delhi, 1230-1238+, Nov 23, English(?)/Vernacular. YL at t/in in presumed English; heard mentions of China and elections followed by OM in language. Poor and fading fast. (Barbour-SHDX/NH)

5040v, presumed MYANMAR, R.Myanmar, 1202-1224, Nov 23, vernacular. YL w/ lengthy talks b/w brief wind instrumental music. Weak/poor, rubbing up against huge het making it difficult to pinpoint frequency. (Barbour-SHDX/NH)

5050, CHINA, Guangxi PBS, 1127-1138, Nov 23, Mandarin. OM w/ talks and musical bits, continuous thru t/out. Fair. (Barbour-SHDX/NH)

6937, presumed CHINA, Yunnan PBS, 1156-1202, Nov 23, Vernacular. Barely audible talk poking thru noise floor. Poor, not much to work with. (Barbour-SHDX/NH)

Looking forward to going out again early next week, to the same location, during sunset.
(Source: Scott R. Barbour Jr.-Intervale,NH-USA)